Family Gratitude Journal for Thanksgiving

We have plenty of things to be thankful for and Thanksgiving is a good time to remind ourselves of all the blessings we have. Extend the gratitude past the holidays with a DIY gratitude journal for the family that features a cute feathery turkey.

Recording gratitude is a scientifically studied and proven way to increase happiness, health, and a sense of fulfillment in children and adults alike. Who doesn’t want to easily reap those benefits? Start a family tradition of recording your gratitude during Thanksgiving. Revisit the journal once a week, once a month, or however often you’d like.

Thanksgiving DIY Gratitude Journal Supplies:

Step 1. Make a decorative cover for your DIY gratitude journal with scrapbook paper. Turn a large piece of scrapbook paper face down. Open the scrapbook cover, and place the open cover over the piece of scrapbook paper to trace around the cardboard cover, then cut out.

Glue the scrapbook paper to the front cover of the scrapbook.

Step 2. Make the turkey’s body out of two pieces of scrapbook paper. To cut the turkey’s oval-shaped body, fold one piece into quarters and trace an arc shape on it. Cut the arc shape out and unfold.

To make the turkey’s head and neck, fold the other scrapbook paper in half and trace a half bowling pin shape. Cut the shape out and unfold.

Step 3. Lay the turkey out onto the scrapbook cover to determine body and feather placement.

Step 4. Remove the paper pieces and tape the feathers into place on the cover.

Step 5. Glue the turkey body and neck pieces over the feathers.

Step 6. Add the turkey’s googly eyes, and create the beak, waddle, and feet out of Foamies shape stickers. I used a round red sticker to cut out the waddle shapes.

Step 7. Create a tag using a piece of scrapbook paper. Cut a rectangle that fits on the turkey’s body, then cut small notches out of the corners to create the tag shape. Outline the tag with a black marker. Write “We Are Thankful” on the tag in pencil, then trace the letters with black marker. When the marker ink dries, erase any remaining pencil marks.

Glue the tag onto the turkey’s body.

On Thanksgiving, introduce the family DIY Gratitude Journal. Ask each family member to add a few written lines inside the journal detailing what they are grateful for. Periodically bring the book out after Thanksgiving to continue to add to the journal. You can bring it out once a week during a family dinner, once a month, or leave it out on the coffee table with a pen so your family can continuously add to the book.

Another way to share what your thankful for this season is a DIY Thanksgiving banner that is made up of envelopes to drop notes of gratitude in. Hang this up at your Thanksgiving gathering and have guests leave their thankful notes inside.

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